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By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Some of it may seem tame now, but The X-Files known for pushing the envelope back in the ’90s, like when they made “Home” so horrible that the Fox network refused to air it in reruns outside of the 1999 Halloween event. Still, it was clear that the network had enough faith in the show and rarely pushed back against the writers because Mulder and Scully’s misadventures fit right in with the network’s fringe programming. However, Fox was worried about that one X-Files storyline would ruin the show, forcing the “Lazarus” writers to change a plot point where another man would inhabit Mulder’s body.
The X-Files Lazarus Plot
That might sound like a pretty bonkers plot even by standards The X-Filesbut “Lazarus” is a tale of a bank robber who has the ability to put his mind into other bodies. Broadly speaking, the story plays out like one of the show’s typical legends, with Mulder firmly believing that the body-hopping is real and Scully expressing polite clinical skepticism. Originally, however, the writers of this episode did not want Mulder to simply theorize about the body hopping. Instead, they wanted him to experience it for himself.
The Original Mulder Idea
Back The X-Files writer and producer Howard Gordon, the Fox network wanted to change a “Lazarus” plot point that involved the thief giving his consciousness directly to Mulder’s body. In his words, “the network (…) was leaning on the idea of Mulder experiencing a supernatural event like that first hand.” In addition to specifically protesting the idea of a “soul switch,” Gordon said that Fox was more generally opposed to its main character being used in such a way.
As we mentioned before, Fox usually didn’t object to much of that The X-Files writers wanted to do, and this pushed them back against the key plot point of “Lazarus” very notably. According to Gordon, things got ugly: “we were angry and up in arms.” In the end, it is almost impossible to win a showdown with the network, and the writers and producers were forced to make changes to their episode very reluctantly.
Eventually, however, Gordon came to see Fox’s decision regarding this X-Files story as a “wise decision,” one that ultimately made “Lazarus” a stronger episode. Honestly, as longtime fans of the show, we have to agree… in any given episode, it’s worth seeing the tension between Mulder’s beliefs and Scully’s skepticism, and it’s just as worth deciding for you your own what is “really” going on with these seemingly supernatural. plots. Honestly, if the show had confirmed supernatural shenanigans in season 1 so blatantly, it likely would have lessened the impact of later seasons.
The tension between Mulder’s and Scully’s beliefs was effectively mirrored by the tension between The X-Files writers and the network on “Lazarus.” However, it’s hard to deny that the network made the right call here, one that preserved the mystery of the narrative while ensuring that future episodes walk the line between revelation and suspense. This episode ended up screwing up the soul change the writers had originally planned, but maybe that’s for the best…like, can you imagine how weird would the fanfic have been for this show if season 1 canonically featured another guy inside Fox Mulder?
